Improvement in revolving fire-arms



FFICE.

FRANKLIN VVESSON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 115,916, dated June 13,1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN WEssoN, of the city of Worcester, in thecounty of Vor cestcr and State of Massachusetts, have inorder to admitthe cylinder to its position in the center of the frame. In suchrevolvers, as ordinarily constructed, the interior surfaces of the topand 'bottom of the frame are left flat, with the space between them ofthe full width of the opening above described, all across the frame, andtwo Wedgeshaped openin gs are left between the cylinder and frame oneach side.

The object of this invention is to make the space within the frameconform to the circle of the cylinder, and thereby to partially inclosethe cylinder and prevent the entrance into the frame of anything thatwill obstruct its rotation, besides giving the weapon a neater and morecompact appearance; and to this end the improvement consists in theconstruct-ion of the frame with one or more filling pieces fit-ted intoits internal space on one or both sides of its center, whereby, whileprovision is made for the reception of the cylinder sidewise by makingthe openin g on either side of sufficient width for its insertion, theopening or openings are so closed up by the said pieces after theinsertion of the cylinder'as to make the interior of the frame conformto the circle of the cylinder, leaving` only just room enough betweenthe frame and the inclosed portion of the cylinder to provide for thefree rotation of the latter.

Figure l in the drawing is a transverse section of the cylinder andframe of a revolver of the ordinary construction hereinabove referredto, drawn on a` scale larger than the natural size. Fig. 2 is a similarsection -of a cylinder and frame with my improvement. Fig.

3 is asimilar sect-ion illustrating a modification of my improvement.Fig. 4 is a side view of a cylinder and fra-me, corresponding with Fig.3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in theseveral figures.

A is the frame, and B is the cylinder. In Fig. 1 it will be seen' thatthe iiat interior surfaces of the top and bottom of the frame leavewedgeshaped openings c a between the cylinder and frame. These are whatit is the object of my inventionto obviate or close up. Fig. 2represents a construction which accomplishes the desired result by meanso f a single filling piece, a. The whole of the top of the internalspace of the frame and that half of the bottom from the left side to thecenter are milled to correspond with the circle of the cylinder 5 butthe other half of the bottom of the interior of the frame on the righthand of the center is cut away, as showna-t 6 7, so

that the width between the upper right-hand corner 5 and the surface 6 7slightly exceeds the diameter of the cylinder, and provides for theinsertion of the cylinder from the right side of the frame. 'lhe llingpiece a is of such shape in its transverse section as to fill up thecorner 6 7 and conform to the circle exterior of the cylinder. Thispiece, which. is of the length of the interior of the frame, is inserted after the cylinder, and secured by one or more screws, b,or byother means, and then completes the frame, which, it will be seen, whenthus completed incloses the cylinder as far as its width permits. Figs.4 and 5 represent a construction in which two filling pieces, ci a', areused, one at the top and one at the bottom of the space Within theframe. The bottom of the space is made like that shown in Fig. 2, and isfitted with a similar filling piece, a.; but the top is made flat, andthe space is made wide enough above the line which the axis of thecylinder occupies when in place to receive the filling piece a', whichextends all across the space, and the top of which lits the flat upperinner surface of the frame, while its bottom conforms to the cylinder.This piece a is secured in place by one or more screws, c, before theinsertion of the cylinder, and. the piece a is inserted and secured inplace after the insertion of the cylinder.

Other modifications of the invention may be made-for instance, insteadof either of the filling pieces a or a', there may be two filling piecesused at the top or bottom, each of the form of one-half of the piece a',and one inserted from one side and the other :from the other side of theframe.

What I claim as my invention7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination of the filling pieces a or a with the frame of arevolving firearm, substantially as and for the purpose hereindescribed.

FRANKLIN WESSON.

Witnesses:

GILBERT H. HARRINGTON, EDWARD IRWIN.

